10: Connecting and Selling across Generational Lines
For most individuals, selling to members of their own generation is comfortable and natural: they know what motivates them to buy, and assume that others are motivated in the same way. When dealing with a member of another culture, this leads to missteps. Understanding the values of others is critical to successful sales to members of other generations.
Thus far, this book has focused on each generation in and of itself, speaking to their culture and the tactics and practices that work best for them. However, few businesses serve only one demographic in isolation, and most wish to appeal to as many customers as possible. Selling across generational lines can be delicate - what works for one group may not work for another, and may even be taken as offensive.
In some instances, where customers lie on the borderline between generations, you will need to work out which way their tendencies fall - it's often an odd blend of the two, though they must make choices where the values of one generation do not reconcile with the values of the next, and they generally seek to be consistent in their values and beliefs, which drags them inexorably to one side of the line or the other.
Ultimately, closing the deal with any person of any generation or culture is a matter of forming a relationship with that person and their idiosyncratic values and expectations - but central to all is the fact that the product and its direct benefits are only one part of an equation that also considers what the decision maker thinks about you, your company, the process, and even himself. Being attentive to relationships enables the sales professional to make a positive impression and "pave the road to Yes."
The Big Picture
Having read the generational snapshots and tactical guidance, the reader should have a good sense of the importance of generational differences: they have a strong impact on the workplace, the marketplace, as well as society ad culture at large. They can cause conflict, but understanding the differences can provide insight that will help to avoid problem areas and develop common understanding.
Taken in a broad sense, you can see what the major differences are:
- The Matures see themselves as contributing members of a great society and are primarily interested in being like everyone else
- The Boomers are the first "me" generation, but remain focused on other people as a standard of comparison, their primary interest being better than everyone else
- Generation X is distrustful of institutions and focus on the individual, and their primary interest is finding value and truth that is concealed or camouflaged
- The Millennials are a generation of narcissistic consumers whose focus is on instant gratification, but who are primarily interested in what other people think of them
These general tendencies lead to specific behaviors and reactions that are different across the generations. Understanding the differences provides insight for sales - what to emphasize, what to avoid - when approaching members of the different generations.
You can also think of the generational types of customers as archetypes of customers in general: while they fit mostly within certain age groups, you can be attuned to a Millennial customer who subscribes to certain Boomer values, and use the generational model as a guide to how to respond to the unique needs of an individual customer, regardless of his age.
The Details
The author provides a list of questions to consider as you begin to apply generational tactics to your interactions. (EN: I've translated them into instructive statements, as the questions are entirely rhetorical.)
First, identify the generations of clients that you serve and sell to. Some methods were provided in the first chapter for analyzing your customer base to develop a composite view of the generations that you serve, and it may require some primary research to gather additional details to refine the image and fill in the gaps in the data you already have.
Second, consider how you will position yourself to each generation, distinguishing your offerings from those of your competitors. Each generation will look for something a little different in marketing and sales from the others. Consider how they can be served all at once as well as how you can segment the market to speak to each generation on its own terms.
Third, consider how to deploy generational tactics to the sales floor, how your company's standard selling techniques can be modified or adapted to be effective. Also consider your own personal selling style, and how you will need to change and adapt your behavior in your encounters with the customers you serve.
Especially for younger generations, you will need to update your information technology and communications to reach them through their own channels of preference, but keep in mind that the older generations still prefer the traditional channels. There are some basic tasks you can attend to: ensure you offer a WifFi connection on your premises, beef up your Web site, enable your sales force to communicate via instant messages.
In addition to considering channels, consider the content of your messages: different sets of ideas, words, and images appeal to each generation - they have different wants and needs, different beliefs ad values. You will need to develop copy points that "speak" to the audience. Additionally, there are various things you can do immediately: gather testimonials to appeal to older customers, make a conspicuous contribution to a cause that appeals to younger ones, stress service to country and community to appeal to the matures.
Consider how to manage your reputation among younger generations by monitoring and managing your online presence, not just on your own Web site, but through third-party sites and social media. Google your own company, and your own name, to see what information people are finding, and become an active participant in the channel to contribute to your own online identity.
Consider how to leverage connections, to win referrals and word-of-mouth that will help you sell to your customers peers, parents, and children. Also consider that you will be selling to "teams" of customers more frequently than in the past: you must win over a Millennial customer and his friends, a Mature customer and his Generation X watchdog.
Consider how your business practices may need to be altered: each generation expects and values something different in they way you communicate to them through every step of the marketing, sales, and service process. There may be more than one "path" that appeals to the various generations of customer that still meet your business requirements for taking an order and providing service - chances are these procedures were developed by someone who assumes everyone wants to be sold and served according to his personal preference.
In all, implementing generational sales and marketing techniques is simply a matter of comparing your business practices to the characteristics of the generations, and making adjustments to suit the preferences and tendencies of your customers - which is just good sense from a business perspective.
The Crucial Connection
The availability of technology should serve to make marketing and selling easier. Companies can gather data easily, collect it over a long period of time, and analyze it in a multitude of ways to provide guidance and monitor performance.
In another sense, the proliferation of channels makes selling harder: you can't just drop an ad in a newspaper and expect customers to come pouring in, but must make an effort to reach them through multiple channels. You can't just wait for the phone to ring, but must also keep an eye on your e-mail inbox, respond to instant messages at any hour of the day, check and update your Facebook page.
Additionally, mass communication is now in the hands of the masses: more people are talking about you, and companies are no longer in firm command of the message and the conversation. You have to keep tabs on communications, work to proactively promote a positive image, and step in promptly to do damage control.
Technology also opens competition: in addition to a similar store across the street or across town, you now have to compete with Amazon and eBay, and give customers value that keeps them coming to you instead of one of the Internet giants who can almost always beat you on price and selection.
You have to deal with more informed consumers, who know more than ever before about your products and those of your competition, who get their information from an array of sources - some of which tell more than you'd prefer to have known.
Ultimately, relationships are the best defense you have against the onslaught of technology. A customer who likes you, and who prefers you, will pay a little more, take a little less, than they can get from another competitor, and will be galvanized against critics who are vocal in their opinions and seem even to be on a smear campaign.
To get that preference, to make and maintain a connection with your customers, means reaching out to them, servicing their specific and individual needs better than the impersonal mass-market of the World Wide Web.
In the end, the cheapest price stands little chance against the best service, and the provider who is most attentive to the specific needs of its customers will keep them, and win more who seek the same level of service. Learning more about the customer is critical, and the generational insights provided by this book are critical ammunition in your battle for the patronage of consumers in today's marketplace.